since there is 10-9 to consider. That said, it has a tremendous song selection and well-played, lyrical flubs aside, from beginning to end. How often do you get 1/2 Step, Stranger, Let It Grow, and Deal in the same set? Was listening to it on Sirius last night and kept saying over and over, "What a show!" The best part might be the Playin' Reprise Jam into drums. Space is to be reckoned with as well, whoever said it was uninspired had to have sand in their ears. There are a couple rough transitions (Dark Star into Playin', Playin' into Uncle John's), but overall it was an excellent show and far better than either of the shows I made it to in '89.

just because they played Dark Star does not make it a great show.
the first set is the best part of the show.
the second set is only 6 songs and they can't even get UJB right, just a train wreck on the lyrics.
endless noodling and a lullaby make for a shit second half.
the Hampton , Va show is the best pairing of the Playin>UJB.Dark Star, but even that second set gets ruined by the tiresome Hey Jude and Bobby screeching.

WARLOCKS in Jersey!
One of the best shows I ever experienced live.

You pull into the parking lot of your motel for a run of shows, it's on fire, nobody is being evacuated AND nobody cares. That's the way it was when we pulled into the Red Roof on the Seacaucus River. We even checked in complete with 450# tie dyed Charlie while the fire trucks were addressing the issue. Heads had set one corner of the building on fire with fireworks. Just another day in N. Jersey.

Say what you will about the venue and the E. Coast, but the boys fed on that energy, knowing they could flee to the W. Coast. There was a pretty subdued anticipation considering. I think there was even a Game on the sound system and screens around the skyboxes. I saw all but 10/11 & 10/12 this tour. I thought Hampton had a much greater element of WOW and Miami was more powerful, but the splice jam mania kept this one in the same league. This is your best remaining source.

It's just sour grapes if you think modern Dark Stars are not up to snuff. The sound quality and technological/musical advancements took it to another level. The Boys were having a ball! That is all you need to know.

When I first heard this, I though that it was too bad that the sound quality was so muffled. And yes I still wish it were better. BUT the thing is--I have just become spoiled from this truly great website. And the other thing is--as the show progresses, the quality gets better. By the time the second set comes around, and actually sooner, this is quite a nice listen. And what a great show!

Actually, probably a Top 5 of 1989.

I mean, a case could be made for this actually being the Best Show of 1989, but... I...don't...uh...

Wasn't in attendance at this particular show, which of course is an automatic downgrade. Yeah, that's right, I"m Casey Fuckin Kasem.

I don't know, the band sounds really good this night, maybe this is the best show of the year. In 1989 Jerry had just a shredding tone in his solos, even at the time we called it Heavy Metal Jerry. He definitely goes there in Let It Grow and Deal.

2nd set is just really nicely put together, probably the best overall set from the Fall shows. Very fluid playing. The Jam after UJB and into Space is typical of the jams they were doing into Drums at this time, really nice long excursions into the ether.

I first got a copy of this show in the Spring of 1990, I told myself that this show was no better than any number of shows the Dead were playing at the time. But there is no denying it is the band playing beautifully on a night when they really deliver the goods, setlist wise.

Ok. Maybe the best show of 1989.

Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars, kids.

Great to see they've left this matrix online here - very nicely done, captures the crowd at the right moments during the high points of the show - thanks very much!

Set 1 is rather unremarkable until the end. It's adequately played, but there's just not a whole lot here worth mentioning until Memphis Blues - Bobby brings it slow and by the end they've worked themselves into a Dylan frenzy. The end of this set - Let it Grow > Deal - is ABSOLUTELY worth listening to. Jerry brings it with both barrels and you can tell they really aren't kidding around.

Set 2 is pretty famous by this point - one long suite with two climaxes, one out of Dark Star and another out of Playin'...I don't know, I think the highlight is the fantastic, jazzy Main Ten jam out of UJB, and Space has some really astonishing instrumental layering going on....and how can one not be swept away by that Attics out of Dark Star? Lovely.

I think this show is good, but not great. There just isn't that over-the-top vibe that the setlist for Set 2 implies - it's just done *well*, not jaw-droppingly so. Don't purchase "Nightfall" when you have this matrix to listen to - I'd check out the end of set 1, if anything, for some real heavy Jer fireworks.

***By the way, Brent has two songs in this show - and both of these are good ones. Good Times has a sly, nasty, sarcastic vibe that I wonder if many heads, in the midst of an acid cloud, picked up on....that title should be in quotes, or something.

I Will Take You Home - this one he really had guts playing out of Space, because you KNOW everyone is going to be tuned right in, hanging on every word, and the lyrics are so drippingly sentimental you *almost* want to cringe, but then again this is a song for his daughter, and many in the crowd I'm sure can identify one way or the other with his unabashed, tender ballad - I find that placing this one after Space is one of the ballsiest things Brent ever did. He contributed many lame songs to the catalogue, but the ones that worked stand out in a big way.